Library of Birmingham

Green walls are a growing trend in many places around the world.
They create a fresh, healthy look that also communicates an awareness of environmental concerns. But turning a garden vertical isn’t that easy to do.

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Who says greenery has to be
horizontal? Most public buildings have plants outside, either in pots
or as part of the landscaped grounds. But what if plants could
comprise the very walls of a building? That's just what the
architects behind the new Library of Birmingham have done with the
building's "green wall" facade. Their chosen solution was based on
ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation.

How do you plant a vertical garden?
A growing trend in many places around the world, green walls
create a fresh, healthy look that also communicates an awareness of
environmental concerns. But turning a garden vertical isn't that
easy to do, and the library's architects had to overcome several
design challenges along the way.

First, a green wall's planting substrate has to remain stable
even though it is vertical. Then, it has to provide moisture and
nutrients for the plants to grow - but without allowing that
moisture to seep further into the wall structure. Finally, the
solution must be able to protect the plant roots from the
elements.

Green walls done right ROCKWOOL batts protect both the plants and the building.
To accomplish all this, the architects who designed the library
turned to Mobilane, a European leader in green wall solutions.
Mobilane's main product, the LivePanel system, was developed in
partnership with the ROCKWOOL Group and depends on stone wool
insulation to deliver a host of benefits.

"A LivePanel facade is essentially a 3-layer solution with the
planting substrate 'sandwiched' between hydrophobic ROCKWOOL
batts," explains Adam Wright of the ROCKWOOL Group. Mr Wright calls
stone wool insulation is "the perfect material for green wall
facades" and explains that ROCKWOOL stone wool batts help prevent
moisture from leaking out of the substrate, protect the plant roots
and watering system from freezing, and provide the stability needed
to grow plants on a vertical plane.

Leafy facade helps win recognition
The new Library of Birmingham has won widespread recognition for
its striking design, including the building's leafy facades. Sean
Farrell of Mobilane, who supplied the library's ROCKWOOL stone
wool-enabled green wall system could hardly be more pleased. "The
LivePanel system is setting new standards for design and
reliability on exterior walls," he says. "The system offers
designers nearly infinite aesthetic possibilities both inside and
outside buildings, and it can support everything from flowers to
ferns," he concludes.